California schools continue to struggle with test scores in reading and math
Dan Walters
February 4, 2025
When Gov. Gavin Newsom issues one of his periodic boasts about California’s superiority vis-a-vis other states — particularly those with conservative politics such as Texas and Florida — he conveniently omits aspects that are less than admirable. The exclusions include California’s levels of poverty, homelessness, unemployment, utility bills and housing costs that are the nation’s highest, or close to it.
One of California’s starkest — and most important — letdowns is the consistent failure to help elementary and middle school students achieve higher national test scores in basic educational skills, such as reading and math.
Simply put, California’s education system is not only behind most other states, but even trails those that Newsom and other Californians consider to be culturally backward. Moreover, California schools have not yet recovered from the educational losses suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
